


A New Chapter

by Saurus1994



Series: Upper Sixth [1]
Category: Derry Girls (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:47:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 12,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26484406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saurus1994/pseuds/Saurus1994
Summary: The gang are heading into Sixth Form. With James and Erin being the only ones staying on at Our Lady Immaculate, the pair spend more time together, which has some interesting consequences.Written from James' POV. Erin x James eventually but the whole gang are there too.
Relationships: James Maguire/Erin Quinn
Series: Upper Sixth [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1925401
Comments: 112
Kudos: 64





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> For those not in the UK - Sixth Form is ages 16-18, before University. Most high schools have an Sixth Form attached where you can complete ALevels, or you can go to college to study specific courses/apprenticeships.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Wake up dickhead, it’s time for school!’

This was the first thing James heard that September morning, followed by a pillow launching into his face. Bewildered and angry, he sat up in bed to find Michelle at his door, still in her pyjamas.

“Christ’s sake Michelle!” James rubbed his eyes “Could you not just knock?”

“No, that’s not as fun” she smirked, turning around to leave

“Besides, what are you doing awake this early?” James called out “Doesn’t your college start at 10?”

“Aye, but it’s going to take me forever to do my makeup and decide what to wear” she sighed “at least I don’t have to wear a uniform anymore, thank God”

It was the start of a new school year, but this one was going to be quite different. The gang were entering Lower Sixth, meaning they had to decide what they wanted to do next after high school. For some it was easier than others - Michelle had counted down the days until she completed her final exam at Our Lady Immaculate, giving two fingers to the school building as she left. Alas, her mother wouldn’t let her finish her education at 16, so she decided to go to the local college to study Hair and Beauty. Orla also decided to go to college with Michelle, fulfilling her dream of becoming a step-aerobics instructor by studying Fitness and Exercise Instruction.

Clare, on the other hand, fretted about the decision for months, reading every college course handbook, taking multiple career quizzes to work out what she wanted to do like her life depended on it. Finally, after much coaxing from her friends to “make a decision or we’ll never speak to you again” (Michelle), she went with the 'fancy' Grammar School across town. This had pleased her mum who felt she needed to spend time with 'other people' than the four trouble makers she was friends with.

Which left Erin and James, who both, without much consultation, decided that staying at Our Lady Immaculate made the most sense for both of them - Erin because she wanted to complete her ALevels so she could study English at University, and James, well, he’d managed to blend in (as much as he could) and didn’t want to rock the boat going anywhere else.

James got dressed slowly, allowing himself to wake up properly, before heading downstairs for breakfast. Absent mindedly eating his toast, he realised how weird it was going to be walking to the bus stop alone, meeting just Erin for school. He remembered back to two years prior, Michelle leading him down the unfamillar Derry streets he now called home.

Checking his watch, he realised he’d better make a move. Michelle was heading down the stairs half-dressed as he was leaving.

“I feel bad for Erin having just you to talk to all day…she’ll be asleep by lunch” she scoffed

James rolled his eyes “Would it kill you to say something nice to me?” He asked his cousin this a lot

“It probably would, yes” she replied “See you at the cafe later?” The girls had planned a post-first day cafe visit after school.

“Sure, see you there” James opened the front door

“Seriously though” Michelle started “You’ll keep an eye on Erin, yeah? I think she’ll be lost without the rest of us”

James looked at his cousin, her face looking slightly nervous. Classic Michelle, projecting her feelings onto everyone else.

“Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be weird for all of us” he replied “but it’ll become normal soon”

“Aye, you’re right” she nodded

“Wow, was that something nice?”

“Oh piss off, James!” Michelle launched a makeup brush at James, which he narrowly missed shutting the door behind him.


	2. The Bus Stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Erin meet at the bus stop before school. James realises he's might have a problem this year...and it's not an academic one.

The walk to the bus stop was eerily quiet. James normally had Michelle rabbiting on beside him, talking about a film she’d watched or a boy she fancied. He would usually let her drone on until they met up with the others, when the conversation would turn to school or solving another group dilemma. James didn’t say much, he usually kept to himself, staring out of the window until he was called upon for input. 

He could see Erin in the distance as he approached the buses. There were a group of first years milling together with their parents, all looking way too young to be in high school but exuding more confidence than his 16-year-old self ever could. Erin was sat on the wall, their usual meeting spot, head down in a book. He could feel his heart beating a bit faster the closer he got. 

You see, James would never had admitted it to anyone, but he did have a soft spot for Erin. Since the night of the infamous prom, he’d noticed himself watching her more, listening to her ramblings and smirking at her (at times) dramatic response to the world around her. Sure, she could be brash and completely out of line at times, but he could tell she was also a sensitive, complex person too. Plus, she didn’t join in on Michelle’s daily abuse of him, which he appreciated. 

Wading through the crowd of girls now accumulating at the bus stop, he made his way to Erin. She was fully engrossed in her book, completely unaware that James was standing beside her. 

“Hello?” James tapped her on the shoulder, causing a startled Erin to nearly fall off the wall.

“Jesus Christ, James!” Erin looked up at him in fright “You scared the shit out of me!”

“Sorry!” James couldn’t help but chuckle, which he soon regretted as Erin hit him with her book

“Hey! That was uncalled for!” 

“Well don’t go scaring me again!” Erin sounded angry but she was smiling 

James sat down on the wall as Erin composed herself.

“What are you reading?” James asked

“Romeo and Juliet” she showed the front cover to him “it’s the required reading for English Literature so I thought I’d get a head start”

“Very keen” James nodded “What else are you taking?”

“English Language, History and Politics…you?”

“English Literature, History, Psychology and Business” James had no clue what he wanted to do in the future, so he'd picked a random selection of subjects that sounded the most interesting but didn't tie him to a specific career path. 

“How was Orla this morning?” James asked 

“Well when I left she was dressed in her fitness attire practicing her routines whilst watching for Michelle out the window” 

“So…just Orla?”

‘“Aye” Erin sighed “Was Michelle ok?”

“She was her ever charming self” James winced at the memory of being woken up by a pillow to the face “I think she was nervous, well, as nervous as Michelle gets for anything”

“I get it, we’re a pack, ya know?” Erin replied “We’ve been together through Primary and Secondary school…it’s really weird them not being here”

“Yeah” James tried to understand, but he knew he couldn’t. The girls we’re a tight knit group which he’d infiltrated two years ago. It wasn’t until he nearly left Derry that he realised he was one of the gang now, after seeing the looks on their faces when he told them he was leaving. 

“Ah well, at least I have you to keep me company” Erin poked James in the side, starting at him sincerely. James’ heart started beating quicker, his stomach feeling queasy. 

Luckily, the piercing sound of a whistle ended the moment, with a teacher yelling at the students to line up for the bus. Hopping off the wall, Erin put her book in her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. 

“Right, Sixth Form, let’s do this” Erin stood tall, a purpose in her step as she made her way to the bus. James walked behind her, watching her hair sway from side to side. 

“Yep, let’s do this” he muttered, trying to wipe the sweat off his hands. He had a hunch Sixth Form was going to be a challenge, and it wasn’t an academic one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Love at First Sight

The first day of school went surprisingly smoothly (maybe because Michelle wasn’t there to cause havoc, James thought). It was his third year at Our Lady Immaculate, and he was finally feeling somewhat comfortable being there. The novelty of a boy in an all-girls school had mostly worn off - he did get a few giggles and jeers from the first years - plus he’d developed the ability to drown out external noise when he needed to. Some may call it thick skin, James called it survival.

In their first lesson of the day, English Literature, the teacher had handed out worn, previously annotated editions of Romeo and Juliet, which Erin delightfully declined, having already purchased it in the summer. The teacher rolled her eyes, something Erin missed but James didn’t.

“I want you to read the first two chapters tonight and come back tomorrow ready for discussion”

“Miss?” Erin raised her hand, sitting up taller, “What should you do if you’re already read the first two chapters?”

“Well, you can read the next two, then you can take the next lesson for me!” the teacher glared down at Erin “How does that sound, Miss Quinn?”

Erin shrunk back in her chair “I’ll just reread it” she muttered

James couldn’t help but smirk.

“This is the problem with the education system!” Erin was on a rant to James as they walked to their next lesson “They don’t accommodate for those who are gifted, talented in their subject” James didn’t know how to respond to this without offending her.

“They just expect us to all learn at the same pace, it’s so institutional!”

“Yeah” James had learned agreeing was much easier than saying anything else.

Lunch time came round, which meant spending 50 minutes with Erin, alone. Sat in the Sixth Form common room, they both quietly ate their lunches, wishing the other girls were there to fill the silence.

James tried his hardest to come up with a topic of conversation - the irony was that whilst he had spent plenty of time with Erin and the girls, he didn’t really _know_ Erin. He knew she liked writing, The Cranberries and Take That, but that wasn’t going to fill much air time.

Luckily, Erin was the first to speak up.   
  
“So, what you most looking forward to this year?” 

“What, you mean in school or in general?”

“School, obviously” Erin crossed her legs over

“Um, I don’t know” James muttered “Psychology sounded cool, we’re going to learn about how people learn”

‘Woah, that sounds deep" Erin’s eye widened

James smiled “Yeah it kinda does”

“Don’t think I’m going to enjoy Romeo and Juliet though” James shrugged “Not my cup of tea”

“It’s the most famous love story in English literature!” Erin gushed “the tragic tale of two people hopelessly in love but can’t be because of their families hatred for each other” Erin sighed “Imagine loving someone so much you had to kill you self because the thought of not being with them was unfathomable”

“Sounds a bit dramatic to me” James replied

“You don’t get it ‘cuz you’re a boy” Erin rolled her eyes “I bet you don’t believe in love at first sight either!”

“I mean, not really” James could feel himself heating up “I think you can like the look of someone, but you can’t say you love them until you get to know them...they might be a dick underneath it all”

Erin’s eyes dropped, a sullen look replacing her normal expression, the memory of John Paul standing her up at prom coming back. James realised what he’d said may have crossed a line.

“Hey, sorry” he tried to meet her gaze “That’s not fair of me to say...I’m sure it does happen for some people”

“No, you’re right” Erin sniffed “Might be a good looking lad on the outside but a dick deep down”

James smiled “Well, I hope I’m not a dick, as much as Michelle calls me one”

“Not in the slightest” Erin smiled again, making James’ stomach turn in knots.

The bell rung for next lesson.

“Right, see you after class?” The pair stood up to head their separate ways.

“Yeah” James nodded, letting Erin leave before him.

Yeah, he knew he didn’t believe in love at first sight. But, he was pretty certain he was slowly, uncontrollably falling for Erin Quinn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your comments to this story - it keeps me wanting to write!


	4. The Cafe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, work got in the way of writing!
> 
> I wanted to try writing a chapter with all five of the gang so this is the result - enjoy!

“…Then there’s this other girl, Laura, bit of a loud mouth but amazing at doing a curly blow dry”

James sipped his lukewarm tea, huddled round a table at the local cafe with the girls. Since arriving, he’d been listening to Michelle give a minute-by-minute recount of her first day of college, occasionally glancing over at Erin across the table, who hadn’t been able to get a word in edgeways.

“…and then the teacher let us leave 20 minutes early, so class!” Michelle took her first breath in what seemed like 10 minutes. James gave her a look.

“What?”

“Nothing…just…I’m just glad you’re finally excited about learning for once” James replied wryly

“Well it’s much easier when your teacher isn’t a 90-year-old nun and your classmates are actually interesting”

“What you saying? We’re not interesting enough for you?” Erin asked in disgust

“Well I haven’t heard anything interesting come out of your mouths since we got here!”

“That’s because you won’t SHUT UP!” Clare suddenly yelled from across the table, her eyes wide with anger

“Woah! Chill out, Clare” Michelle leaned back in her chair“Not in a good mood?”

“I’m actually grand, thanks for asking!”

“How’s the Grammar school?” Erin asked

“It was weird at first - there’s girls AND boys - but then I met Amy in my Art class and she introduced me to her friends and we hit it off!” Clare smiled “She plays the violin!”

“Jesus, these Grammar kids are posh aren’t they?” Michelle scoffed, Clare scowling back at her

‘Well I just hope you don’t ditch us for your new pals” Erin said

“Of course not! We’re best friends, right?!” Clare looked around the table “and no matter where life takes us, we will always be friends”

Everyone nodded, James included.

“Anyway, how did your day go Orla?” Clare turned to Orla, who was absent-mindedly eating a dib-dab

“Aye it was good, the teacher said I have real potential” Orla smiled

“In dance instructing?”

“Yeah - she said I have the memory of an elephant” Orla paused, looking at Erin “Elephants have good memory, right?”

“Yes, Orla” Orla nodded to herself happily

“What about you two?” Michelle looked at Erin and James “get up to any bother with Sister Michael?”

’Surprisingly enough, we didn’t have a run in with her today” Erin started “It’s almost like when you take something out of the equation you don’t get the same consequence” Erin nodded at Michelle, causing James to laugh

“I’m sorry, would you like to speak English?” Michelle asked

Erin sighed. “No, because you weren’t there”

“It’s not as fun, admit it” Michelle smirked, glancing at James. “Did you bore Erin to tears like I said you would?”

“No” James looked at Erin “Did I?”

“Nope, in fact it was nice to hear what James had to say about things” Erin smiled

Michelle rolled her eyes “I think you need to get your hearing tested, Erin”

“Okay, I’ve had enough abuse for one day” James pushed out his chair “I’m going home”

“Yeah we should get going too Orla, mammy is making tea for 6” Erin tapping Orla on the shoulder

"I’ve got homework to do” Clare stood up, taking the creases out of her new uniform

“Bores!” Michelle called out as the others left the cafe, only to realise she was now on her own.

“Fine, I’ll come too!” Michelle chased after the four into the night, catching up to them down the road. 

“Nice of you to join us” James snarked 

“Oh come on, you love me really!” Michelle pulled James into a headlock, rubbing his hair with her knuckles.

“GET OFF YOU PRICK!” James pushed her away playfully. He really hated his cousin sometimes, but then he remembered how she’d let him hang out with her on his first day of school, taught him how to cope in Derry, and then stopped him from leaving. He liked to think everything she did, she did because she cared about him, in her own strange way.


	5. The Bus Ride

The remainder of the first week of school was uneventful, the mundane routine of lessons, homework and sleep etching away the last memories of summer. James was relieved when Friday arrived, completely worn out from the intensity of Sixth Form. Even though he was only studying four subjects, it was a barrage of information, the pace much quicker than lower school. 

On the bus ride home, sat next to an also tired Erin, he leaned his head against the window, drowning out the shrills of teenage girls behind him. He felt Erin move in her seat, probably only an inch, but an inch closer to him. He opened his eyes slightly to see Erin was also trying to forget the world around her, her eyes closed, head nodding to the movement of the bus. Instinctively, James wanted to pull her closer to him, so she could rest on his shoulder. It was a friendly suggestion, right? 

Suddenly, the bus hit a pot hole, causing a half-asleep Erin to bang her head on the metal barrier behind her. Startled awake, she let out a cry of pain and some expletives, stopping herself as she remembered where she was. The anger turned to sadness, as she began rubbing the back of her head.

“Fuck’s sake! I never fall asleep on the bus!” She muttered, almost ashamed of herself for letting down her guard. In a moment of both feeling bad for her but also enamoured with her bashfulness, James laughed at her. 

“God, what are you like?” He said playfully, putting his arm round her and pulling her into his side. He’d done it unconsciously, the want to care for his hurt friend greater than his fear of what consequence it would have. Luckily, Erin didn’t jump away in disgust, rather she seemed to appreciate it, hiding herself in his chest as he rubbed her head. The moment passed. But it didn’t stop. James waited for Erin to move again, to thank him for his kindness and the bus journey to continue as normal. But there she still was, and James was freaking out. 

Heart racing, James tried not to look around at his fellow passengers, probably wondering why the hell he was practically cuddling Erin Quinn. Truth be told, he didn’t know either. He’d always assumed his infatuation with her was one-sided, but maybe it wasn’t.

James was brought out of his inner panic by Erin looking up at him, her face red.

“You okay?” James whispered, all he could muster in the situation he had found himself in

“Yeah, that really hurt!” Erin moved from James’ chest, giving him the chance to take a deep breath again. He took his arm away from under her. 

“Feel better now?” James asked 

“Aye, thanks” Erin smiled “You’re a good pillow, you know that?”

James laughed “Never had that said about me” he could feel his cheeks going red. 

Erin rubbed her eyes “Christ I need an early night” James nodded in agreement “School was knackering”

“I think Michelle wants to meet up at the chippy” James reminder her

“Oh yeah, of course” Erin rolled her eyes - in typical Friday tradition, it was takeaway night, which everyone loved, except James. 

“She’ll be pissed if you don’t go” James looked out of the window, the bus coming to a stop. 

“I know” Erin sighed

Getting off the bus, James and Erin began their walk into town to meet the others. Amongst the silence, James could feel a tension rising in his body. He kept thinking back to the bus journey - did they need to discuss what happened? Was it just him who felt like it was both scary but amazing? Did Erin mean to rest on him for as long as she did? And why?

“Is your head okay now?” James asked, trying to subtly bring up what he wanted to say

“Yeah it’s grand” Erin replied, absent-mindedly rubbing where she’d banged it. 

“You sure you’re okay?” James could sense something else was going on - Erin was not meeting his gaze, her eyes staring straight ahead.

Erin stopped, turning to face him.

“I’m in a bit of a conundrum” 

“Oh, what about?”

Erin paused, like she was going to say something but changed her mind “English”

“English?” James was confused “You mean, English class?”

“Um, yeah” she started walking again “Romeo and Juliet”

“I thought you’d already finished it?” James followed beside her, evermore intrigued by Erin’s thoughts 

“I have, I guess I’m just drawing some parallels from it to my own life, and it’s causing me concern”

James had barley read the first two scenes from Act One since Monday, so was puzzled about what on earth Erin was going on about. 

“Um, are you…” James tried to recount the first scene “Being forced to marry someone your father has chosen for you?”

“Oh my God, no!” Erin scoffed at James’ attempt of understanding her literary comparison 

“Well, you’re gonna have to help me out” James was getting impatient, his feelings for Erin turning from concern to frustration. She always made a big deal out of her thoughts, rather than just getting to the point. 

“Stop trying to be clever, you’re not with Michelle or Clare, just me” James stopped her, grabbing her shoulders. He’d never imagined doing this before now, but the bus ride had changed things.

“That’s exactly it, James!” Erin shouted “I’m with you, alone, and it’s making me so confused!” Erin put her hands in her hair, seconds from a full-blown Erin freakout. James’ brain was turning to mush - was she saying what he thought?

“Erin, look at me” James took her hands from her head, looking at her so intently he could barely breathe. He looked around, the residential street they were on was deserted apart from a roaming tomcat. 

He had no clue what he wanted to say to her. He had no idea how to say “I know how you feel”. He had no idea how to tell her that he’d been feeling confused too, and it had built through the years into a revelation he couldn’t deny. 

So, he decided to show her. 

Before his head could catch up to his racing heart, he leant down and kissed her quickly. It was a fleeting moment, too scared to commit to the kiss. He could feel his heartbeat drumming in his ears, a wave of adrenalin overcoming him. Then, the moment of realisation. 

Shit, he’d kissed Erin Quinn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this was not where I expected this chapter to go - but there we are! 
> 
> Bit short, but I'm trying to do each scene justice, and it takes that takes time! Thanks again for all the lovely comments, they really help :)


	6. Tectonic Plates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter in Erin's POV.

Erin's POV. 

The moment between the kiss and someone saying anything felt like an eternity, but it must’ve only been a few seconds. Erin was in complete shock at what had just happened. Of all the ways she’d expected that conversation to go, she hadn’t bargained on James grabbing her by the shoulders and kissing her. 

Erin’s inner thoughts had been a complete mess when it came to her relationship with James since…well, since he nearly left almost a year ago. She could remember the devastation she felt when he said he was leaving, when he turned away she wished she’d stopped him. It was one of those moments where you don’t realise how much you appreciate something until it’s gone. She’d written a letter to him in her diary a few days later, not knowing exactly what she was feeling, but she had to write down how much she would have missed him. 

Since then, the world had gone back to normal, but slowly, like tectonic plates, their relationship had shifted. She was quicker to stand up for James when Michelle berated him, smiled wider when he entered the room. She stop fantasying about lads from magazines or whoever Michelle was chasing, rather replaying the night of Prom over and over, remembering how handsome James was in his suit and scarf and hair slicked back. 

Sadly, these realisations did not come in a logical, orderly way, rather in a flurry of frustration and feelings she didn’t understand. It was when James had pulled her into his arms after she hit her head on the bus - at first she didn’t know how to react. All she could focus on was her heart beating furiously in her chest. In those few moments, she could feel James’ heartbeat do the same, and then he started rubbing her head and she near enough exploded. All the pieces fell into place, the cipher broken - she had feelings for him.

Not teenage infatuation like with John Paul or David Donnelly, this was different. It had built up over time, without her even noticing. How could she have missed it! Did he feel the same? Or was his hug just him being a good friend…

Well, she’d had that answered pretty quickly. Sure, her way of getting to the subject hadn’t been the most…graceful, but it had cleared things up for her. 

“Shit” was the first thing that came out of her mouth, probably not the best. She saw James’ face fall. 

“Sorry, I…” James stammered 

“Sorry? Why are you sorry?” She was confused 

“Well, I did just kiss you without asking” James replied “and it was totally out of line, we’re friends, I don’t want to sabotage that” 

She did see his point. The whole group dynamic would change if anything was to happen between them. Alas, this was the last logical thought Erin had before her hopelessly romantic heart took over. Closing her eyes, she reached up to James and kissed him back. She opened her eyes, realising how close she was to him. He looked down at her and reciprocated the kiss, this time deeper and with more confidence. A few moments of kissing later, they drew apart, taking a breath. Not knowing what to say, Erin laughed, the enormity of the moment hitting her. She’d just kissed James, and he’d kissed her back! James started laughing too.

“Oh god, what are we like?!” James shook his head

“Absolute doses” Erin laughed again

“What are we going to do?” James asked 

Erin knew what he meant - there was absolutely no privacy in Derry, someone would soon clock on what was going on. But that would ruin any change of this being ‘normal’.

“Let’s keep things quiet for now” Erin began “So we can work it out together, without input from everyone else”

“Sounds like a good idea” James nodded in agreement “…but how the hell are we going to do that?” 

“We’ll have to be inconspicuous” Erin whispered, almost comically 

“Erin, and I say this nicely, I don’t think anyone has ever described you as ‘inconspicuous’” James smirked

“Hey, just because I kissed you doesn’t mean you can tease me!” Erin pouted 

James looked at his watch “Ah shit, we’re going to be late for the chippy”

Oh yeah, that’s what they were doing. 

“Okay, let’s talk about this later” Erin started walking again, realising how long they’d been stood in the same spot. She hoped no one in the street had spotted them. James caught up with her, walking closer to her than before. How much she wanted to hold his hand, but she knew, for now, they’d be wiser not to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to pearlydewdrop for inspiring me to pick up this fic and also to Erin's Diary for giving me confidence to write Erin's thoughts.


	7. Keeping Quiet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to James' POV.

James’ POV

Erin and James began walking at a pace to the chippy, both of them trying to wrap their heads around what had just transpired. One thing was for sure; they couldn’t let anyone know of this, until they’d had a chance to collect their thoughts and if this (whatever it was) would work. 

Reaching the chippy, they saw Michelle, Orla and Clare waiting outside. 

“Nice of you to fucking join us!” Michelle yelled at the pair “What took you so long?”

“Sorry, the bus was delayed” James tried to act cool, glancing sideways at Erin. She looked up at him, nodding in agreement. 

“Well now the queue is massive” Michelle gestured over at the Friday night chippy line.   
“You didn’t need to wait for us, we get the same thing every week!” James sighed, wishing he and Erin had turned around and headed home themselves.

“Can we just get in the queue, please?” Clare piped up, attempting to stop a possible feud.

The five joined the back of the line and Michelle began a long tale of her day in college. Erin and James were both relieved (for once) Michelle wouldn’t shut up, as they didn’t have to answer any more question on their tardiness. 

Eventually, it was their turn to order. With their large quantity of fried items in tow, the gang made their way back to the Quinn’s house, where they would consume their food in Erin’s room (James would bring a sandwich from home on Friday’s…he still despised anything battered).

“You know what’s the best part of college? No homework” Michelle was munching away on chips, lying on Erin’s bed. Orla was curled up like a cat the foot of the bed. 

“I’ve got so much homework” Clare sighed, turning to James and Erin “Have you started coursework yet?”

“Coursework? It’s only been the first week!” Erin replied “How can you know anything to do coursework?”

“I…don’t know” Clare scrunched her nose in thought

“Well it was your decision to go to a school for nerds” Michelle chipped in 

“I’m not a nerd!” Clare retorted 

“Aye, she doesn’t wear glasses” Orla agreed with Clare

Michelle turned her attention to James, who had been quietly eating his sandwich in the corner of the room. 

“You’ve been awfully quiet tonight, Dicko” Michelle eyed him suspiciously. Whilst James wasn’t the chattiest of the group, he normally made some comment or expression at their conversation.

However, tonight James was engrossed in his thoughts, replaying the kiss between him and Erin over and over. He hadn’t said it to her, but it had been amazing. He’d never felt so alive after kissing a girl, craving more, wanting to let his inhibitions down and tell her how he felt. Alas, they didn’t have the luxury of time to let it happen. He hoped that he could get Erin alone again, so they could finish what they’d starter. For now, he had an annoying cousin to deal with.

“Just have nothing to say” James replied nonchalantly, trying to hide the fact he had lots he wanted to say, just not to her. 

“Leave him be Michelle, I bet our conversations bore him to tears” Erin was throwing him a lifeline, one he appreciated 

“You’re right, I think I’ll head home if you guys are going to be chatting all night” 

“You’re such a bore James, it’s Friday!” Michelle scoffed “Come on, let’s have some fun!”

“I’m good, I think I’ll watch some Doctor Who instead” James stood up to leave 

“Fine, suit yourself, but you’ll never get a girl watching nerdy science shows!” 

James stifled a chuckle, glancing over at Erin who gave him a smile. 

“I’ll take this rubbish downstairs, see you out” Erin picked up the empty chip shop wrappers “Pick a film for us to watch why don’t you Orla?”

Orla’s eyes lit up at Erin’s suggestion.

“Can we watch Toy Story?”

“That’s a kids film, Orla!” 

James and Erin made their way downstairs, the sounds of the other girls heated film discussion dissipating as they reached the hallway. James thought back to the last time he’d been stood here with Erin, the night of the school prom. He’d been a nervous wreck, scared of how she’d react when he showed up and not John Paul. He hadn’t realised it at the time, but that was the start of his feelings for her. And now here he was, almost two years later, feeling those same things, but now he knew it was mutual. 

Erin opened the porch door and leaned against it. 

“So, about earlier…” she began

“Yeah, I wanted to ask about that” James rubbed his hair nervously  
“I think we need to keep it quiet, for now” Erin spoke softly

“Of course, I don’t want to deal with…” James pointed upstairs 

“Exactly” Erin nodded “and also…” she pointed to the living room where her family were watching TV.

James gulped “Ah yes, them too”

“I’ve got to be honest, I’ve no idea how relationships work. I mean I’ve read about it in books and Michelle’s had a few boyfriends but they’ve never ended well” Erin was whispering, but she was getting wound up. James moved closer to her, so they were only inches apart.

“Hey, it’s okay” he whispered back “I’m just as clueless as you…but we will make it work” James hugged Erin tightly, burying his face into her hair. They’d hugged plenty times before, but now it felt much more…intense. 

“ERIN! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU!” 

Releasing their embrace, the pair sighed.

“Thanks, Michelle” James rolled his eyes, making for the door “I’ll see you on Monday” 

“Bye, James” Erin smiled

James turned round, his heart beating fast

“Goodnight, Erin” he smiled back, before closing the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay I'm back! 
> 
> This is a filler chapter, so apologies for the length, but I'm excited to get into the 'action' now we have established Jerin :D 
> 
> Once again thank you for all the support and encouragement from others who keep me wanting to write!


	8. Back of the bus

The time between Friday night and Monday morning felt like an eternity for James. He was nervous to talk to Erin about their relationship, but there was no chance they’d get time alone on the weekend. At the bus stop, his stomach turned in knots waiting for Erin to appear. Should he kiss her? Hug her? Probably not, unless he wanted word spreading like wildfire to his friends and cousin. He really didn’t need another reason for people to hate him.

“Alright?” Erin had appeared at his side quietly, acting aloof.

“Hey” James gulped, trying to act normal but knowing he was failing.

“Good weekend?” Erin asked

“Quite boring” James replied “Michelle made me play monopoly”

“Oh yeah? How’d that go?”

“Let’s just say Michelle is now saving up to buy a new set of mugs”

“Ah” Erin laughed, wishing she’d been there to see it.

Boarding the bus, James felt like all eyes were on him. Maybe they always were and he’d not noticed in a while, but right now it felt like everyone knew their secret.They made their way to the back of the bus, sitting in the corner two seats. There was an unspoken hierarchy on the bus, and everyone knew Lower and Upper Sixth’s (or their siblings…) got priority of the back.

“Every time we sit here I’m reminded of your first day” Erin remarked

“I was so scared, I had no idea what was going on” James felt himself shrink into the seat, being taken back two years prior.

“Really?” Erin’s eyes widened

“Of course! I’d just been dropped here by my mum, no warning, no time to prepare” James sighed “Couldn’t have gone much worse!”

James hadn’t spoken much about how his mum leaving him in Derry made him feel. It had been a blur; one minute he was visiting his family, the next enrolled in an all girls school with his mouthy cousin. When he’d found out his mum had gone back home, he’d been told to suck it up, get over it, that’s what you do in Derry. You move on.

“I’m sorry if we weren’t the most welcoming at first” Erin said sincerely

“Well, you did call me John, remember?” James smirked

“I did no such thing!” Erin scoffed

“I heard you talking to Michelle on the phone after school” James recalled

Erin frowned. “Okay, but only once!”

The bus began its journey to school, the noise of chatting school girls filling in the air. At the back of the bus, James felt safe. There was no one watching them from behind and they had a view of everyone in front of them.

Clearly, Erin was thinking the same, as he suddenly felt her hand hold his. He looked down, both shocked and delighted, seeing their hands intertwine. He glanced up, meeting Erin’s gaze. She smiled softly, as did he in return. Facing the front, they held hands silently, watching out for any overt eyes. Occasionally, he would glance over to Erin, and their mischievous eyes would meet. He wouldn’t like to admit it, but he was quite enjoying the thrill of keeping their relationship secret. How he hoped they could keep this going for as long as possible, not just for his sake but for Erin’s too. He didn’t want to have people interfering in their relationship, sticking their noses in and giving comment.

“We’ve got English first, right?” James asked

“Yep, you done the reading?” Erin questioned 

“Of course, I’m a good student”

“All right, cocky!” Erin rolled her eyes “So, what happened in second act?”

“Not a baldies” James laughed “I don’t understand Shakespeare!”

“Oh James, that’s desperate!” Erin sighed

“I speak English, Erin, I barely understand Derry!”

Erin gave him one of her looks, like the ones she gave to Orla when she blew on her ice cream to ‘cool it down’.

“Fine, why don’t you tell me what happens and I’ll see what I picked up?”

Erin shuffled in her seat, sitting upright.

“Okay, fine” Erin paused, composing herself. James felt a smile creeping up his lips. This was classic Erin bluffing. He waited, tiling his head slightly for her response.

“So…erm…” Erin stuttered “Well, it’s start with…you know…the main characters…”

James couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oi! Why are you laughing?” Erin was defensive

“Erin, you do know it’s okay to not know _everything,_ right?” James smiled

“Of course” Erin replied confidently

James knew from experience Erin very rarely admitted to being wrong. It was one of both her strengths and weaknesses - she was very passionate and wouldn’t back down without a fight, even If it meant humiliation when she realised she was in the wrong.

“How about we wait until English class and see what everyone else thought? Get a group perspective” James offered her a _Get Out Of Jail Free_ card.

“Aye, might be a good idea” Erin relaxed, then looked back at James, realising what he’d done.

“James, why are you so _nice_?” Erin whispered, a slight annoyance in her voice.

“Why? Do you want me to stop?” James asked.

Erin paused for a moment, then squeezed his hand tighter “No” she replied.

James nodded “Good” and he squeezed back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of fun references to things in Erin's Diary here, let me know if you spot them! 
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	9. Lunchtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small filler chapter today, but I'm finally getting into the plot now! Enjoy :)

James and Erin managed to make it though the morning without issue. They stuck themselves into their work, finally getting their heads around Act 2 of Romeo and Juliet. The teacher set them an essay question to answer before the end of the week, one which Erin was terrified about.

“‘ _Read this extract from the Prologue of Act 2 and explore how Shakespere presents Romeo and Juliet as outsiders to society_ ’” Erin read aloud the question to James as they sat eating their lunch. “How the fuck should I know?! We’ve only read the first two acts!”

“It’s a four mark question, Erin” James tried to calm her down “I’m sure you just have to write a couple of sentences”

Erin took a bite from her sandwich, taking in James’ comment, after which she nodded.

“Yeah, four marks is nothing” Erin visually looked more relaxed “Thanks, James”

“Can’t have you losing your shit in the second week of term!” James said both sincerely and jokingly.

“Excuse me, I keep my shit held together, thank you!” Erin looked around the Sixth Form dining room, realising it was now empty. Most Sixth Formers went out at lunch, and the few that had been seated had left. James watched her eyes survey the room, then return to meet his.

James was going to say something, but clearly Erin had other ideas. Before he had a chance to compose himself, Erin’s lips were on his, and all sense of awareness left him. He reciprocated, moving closer to her so he could kiss her deeper, the urge he’d been pushing down all morning finally being let free. Still in a slight state of shock that he was actually kissing Erin, in school no less, he couldn’t help but feel so alive. This wasn’t like anything he’d experienced before; it felt new but old, like they’d done this a thousand times. It was taking all his self-restraint to not give in to his teenage urges and….

Coming back to reality, he realised that _shit_ , they were in school! He opened his eyes, hoping no one had quietly entered the room amidst their make out session. He pulled away slowly from Erin, as much as he didn’t want to, he was acutely aware that being caught would have disastrous consequences. Composing themselves, James couldn’t not lean in for one more kiss. He put his forehead to Erin’s.

“That was….fun” James smiled 

“It was, you’re a good kisser” Erin blushed

James laughed “Thanks, you’re not so bad yourself”

The two teenagers blushed, enamoured by each other’s compliments. Alas, the school bell rang.

“Two more lessons, then home” James sighed, packing away his lunch things.

“Have fun in psychology” Erin stood to leave for her politics lesson.

“Ditto” James glanced around once more at the empty dining room. Quickly, he placed a kiss on Erin’s cheek.

“We need to be careful!” Erin tried to be serious but she was smiling through her warning.

“I know, I know” James tried not to let his emotions take over, but he couldn’t help it.

And so, the pair went their separate ways to class, brimming with delight. At the beginning of term, James was worried about spending all this time alone with just Erin; now, it was looking as if school could be their safe haven.

If only they’d realised that whilst no one was in the dining room, they’d failed to notice the doors into the dining room had a small, rectangular window, where a certain someone had been watching, and had seen almost everything…


	10. Safe

At the end of the school day, James waited for Erin at the bus stop. When he saw her approach he smiled, delighted to see her again after their lunch time activities. Resisting the temptation to kiss her in front of their peers, they took their seats at the back of the bus, where they could sneakily hold hands.

Disembarking, they went their separate ways. It was a Monday, so they had homework to get on with and after their unsuccessful group study sessions in the past, their parents had forbade them from doing homework together. That may have been their reason, but James was sure it was mainly due to them eating all the Christmas chocolates.

James got home and found Michelle watching TV.

“Oi dickhead” Michelle called from the couch “get me a tea will you?”

James rolled his eyes.

“Since when was I your personal servant?”

“Since you came here and halved my Christmas present budget, you leech” Michelle replied curtly.

“At least you have a mum that gives a shit, Michelle” James snapped back, a sudden anger rising from inside him towards both his mum and his selfish cousin.

Michelle turned around to face James realising she may have overstepped the line. He looked back at her solemnly.

“Yeah, alright” Michelle put her hands up in truce, the closest James was getting to an apology.

“Two sugars in your tea?” James made his way into kitchen, the unspoken apology accepted.

“Aye” Michelle turned back to her programme.

“How was college?” James asked from the kitchen

“Boring, we didn’t get to do any practice today, just doing health and safety and all that” Michelle replied

“Well at least you didn’t have to sit through two hours of Romeo and Juliet” James sighed

“Ugh, that’s what you’re reading?” Michelle sat up as James entered the living room with two cups of tea.

“Yeah, it’s a bit dramatic if you ask me” James wouldn’t say it in front of Erin, but he wasn’t the biggest fan of literary’s most famous couple.

“Things going okay with Erin?” Michelle asked

James freaked. Did she know? How could she possibly know about him and Erin?!

“Um, yeah, fine…” James stuttered “Nothing…new…”he tried to stop himself blethering nonsense.

“Woah why are you having a cack attack? I was just asking how school was with just you and Erin!” Michelle eyed her cousin once more.

“Why are you going red?” Michelle sat up to face James, who was sat in the opposite armchair getting redder and fidgeting.

James darted his eyes from side to side, trying to think of a way out of the conversation.Before he could put two words together, Michelle laughed loudly.

“Oh, my god” she cried “Do you….fancy Erin?”

James’ heart stopped. No! This was NOT what he wanted! He’d barley come to terms with his feelings for Erin, he didn’t need his cousin messing with them even further. 

Putting on his best acting skills (he’d got a C in GCSE Drama) he attempted to throw Michelle off the scent.

“What?! No!” James fake laughed “Come on Michelle, that’d be ridiculous”

“Then why are you acting so shifty?” Michelle wasn’t fully convinced

“Because…I was remembering something that happened at school, pretty embarrassing…” James trailed off

“Of course you made a fool of yourself. Go on, what was it this time?” Michelle sipped her tea, intrigued by James’story.

Luckily for James, his aunt appeared at the door, having just returned from work.

“Oi! Shouldn’t you two be doing your homework?” Deirdre asked

“I haven’t got any ma” Michelle replied

“I have” James knew he’d get a berating from his aunt but it was better than having to come up with a story for Michelle.

‘Well shift it! Enough gossiping” Deirdre looked at Michelle “You can help me prepare dinner”

“Fucks sake” Michelle muttered under her breath, following her mother into the kitchen.

Finally free, James headed upstairs to work on his homework. Outside, the sun was setting on another day. He turned on his desk lamp, got out his copy of Romeo and Juliet and tried to focus on the question:

‘ _Read this extract from the Prologue of Act 2 and explore how Shakespere presents Romeo and Juliet as outsiders to society_ ’

An outsider to society. That’s exactly how he felt most of the time - at school, with his friends, even with his family. He was the outsider - continually reminded of it. And now, if he was to date Erin, that’d make them both outsiders. An Irish girl dating an English lad. It wasn’t unheard of, but the connotations it came with, the impact it could have on their family and friends…he didn’t want to think about. Suddenly, he started to empathise with Romeo and Juliet. Just a couple of kids who wanted nothing more than to be together, only to be kept apart by societal pressure. He’d seen how Michelle had reacted to just the _thought_ of him fancying Erin - it was enough to make him question his decision to kiss Erin that night. Frustrated and deflated, he turned off his lamp and clambered into bed, cocooning himself from the world. His bed was probably one of the only places he felt truly safe in Derry.

Well…that and holding Erin’s hand on the bus. He recalled how comforting it was, to feel the pressure of someone else’s hand against his. Looking across to Erin, the glances they gave to each other, he couldn’t help but smile. It had only lasted a few minutes, but that safety and trust he’d had with her, he wanted to feel that everyday, forever. He hoped Erin had felt the same….

————

On the other side of town, a certain someone was also in their bedroom, making the finishing touches on their best piece of writing to date. They smirked, revelling in knowing the biggest piece of gossip Our Lady Immaculate had seen since Clare’s coming out. They couldn’t wait to add it to this week’s edition of _The Habit -_ sales had dwindled recently, but they were sure this story would put them back on the map.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh who could be the mystery writer? Okay, this isn't a Warks fic, so I won't keep you hanging for long ;)


	11. A date?

For the remainder of the school week, James and Erin continued to push the boundaries of how far they could take their relationship without anyone noticing. From coy brushes of hands under desks to waiting until everyone had left the lunchroom for a chaste kiss, they felt like they had a fool proof solution. Sitting in the dining room on Thursday, James brought up an idea he’d thinking of.

“A date?” Erin questioned “What, like, a real one?”

“What other kinds are there?” James queried “I just thought, seeing as we are…you know…” he hesitated “dating…we should do what you do when you date”

“If you say ‘date’ one more time… I might have to slap you” Erin pestered

James smirked at her playfulness towards him. This was how their relationship had grown, both of them being more confident and open with each other than they could ever be with their friends.

“Seriously, though, I really do want to take you on a date” James glanced around the room before placing his hand on Erin’s.

“But where would we go? What would we tell everyone else?” Erin asked

Luckily, James had been thinking hard about this and had a potential solution. He knew Michelle was desperate to go clothes shopping on Saturday after she’d decided she look a state compared to her college friends. James had heard her calling Clare and Erin the night before to ask them to join her. Clare had agreed, as did Erin (and Orla, tagging along for a trip to the sweet shop). Luckily for James, he’d stopped being asked to attend these excursions after he fell asleep whilst waiting for the girls outside a changing room. Michelle had been mortified, James delighted.

“But I’ve said I’m gonna go, I can’t back out now” Erin stopped him “Michelle will kill me!”

“I know, that’s why on Friday, when we meet at the chippy, you’re going to develop a headache” James continued “Then, we’ll get back to yours, and you complain of being cold, tired, etcetera. The next morning, you call Michelle and say you’re too sick to come, chuck in a couple of coughs for good measure, and then you’re free!”

A grin appeared on Erin’s face.

“I never thought I’d see the day James Maguire would be the one to construct such a devious plan”

“Maybe living with Michelle has rubbed off on me” James chucked.

“So, what are we going to do on our…date?” Erin asked

“Well, I thought we could grab a hot chocolate from a cafe and go on a walk of the walls, I know how much you like them” Erin rolled her eyes, remembering how angry she’d been at Katya’s dissatisfaction with the historic city walls.

“Then, we could go to the Tower Museum and take a look out over the city, plus I could learn a bit of history along the way” James continued, hoping his plan of pandering to Erin’s interests would serve him well on their first date.

“I’ve been to that museum hundreds of times” Erin groaned

“So you can be my personal tour guide!” James pressed, slightly crestfallen at her response “Or, we could do something else, I’m open to ideas”

Erin noticed James’ eyes sadden; he’d clearly put a lot of thought into this. It was very endearing to have someone care about what you were interested in, she realised. 

‘No, no, let’s do that!” Erin smiled “I’d love to show you round”

James perked up “Great, it’s a date then!”

“We just need the rest of the plan to work out” Erin reminded him

“It’ll happen, one way or another” James was confident after their successful week of school. They just needed to be two steps ahead of everyone else….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick filler chapter to build up to the next one....
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	12. And the walls came crashing down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Erin face the music.

James had a spring in his step as he left the house. It was a crisp autumn morning; the leaves were just starting to turn but it was still warm enough to not need a big coat. James’ thoughts turned to Erin and his conniving plan to take her on a date. He hoped that it would go well, and maybe, just maybe, they could start to think about telling the others. He knew they couldn’t keep it a secret forever, plus making up an excuse each time they wanted to be alone would grow old. Someone would catch on soon enough.

Meeting Erin in their usual spot, they caught the bus and assumed their usual position, coyly holding hands whilst chatting about school. Erin was complaining about her politics teacher as James listened on, giving the occasional nod and eye roll when necessary. Approaching the school, James stared out of the window, to find an odd sight. There was a large crowd formed at the entrance, with none other than Jenny Joyce at the centre. Hoards of girls were holding neon pink magazines, huddled in groups devouring whatever was inside.

“Jeez, Jenny’s got a crowd today” James was more surprised than confused; Jenny was always stood at the entrance on a Friday, handing out the weekly edition of _The Habit,_ but there was often solemn interested buyers.

Erin leaned over James to get a better look “Wonder what shite she’s made up today?”

James laughed “What, you don’t think last week’s story about platypuses was real?”

“Catch yourself on, James! A semi-aquatic beaver with a duck beak and fur that lays eggs? Complete horse shit”

James made a mental note to check an encyclopaedia in the library that lunchtime, still intrigued by what was going on outside. Making their way off the bus, the group of school girls surrounding Jenny turned, staring and him and Erin. James felt his stomach drop.

No, it couldn’t be.

“Hey Erin! What’s it like riding an English fella?” A girl shouted, which sent a roar of laughter through the crowd. James turned to Erin, her face white.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Erin replied, trying to sound calm but inside she was close to breakdown.

A girl near the front passed her a copy of _The Habit,_ with the headline:

STAR-CROSSED LOVERS!

READ ALL ABOUT OUR LADY’S SECRET COUPLE!

With school pictures of James and Erin slap bang in the middle.

James and Erin stared in horror and embarrassment, as the crowd continued to mutter remarks to eachother.

This was it, the act was up.

James left Erin’s side, making his way through the crowd to Jenny and Aisling. On seeing James they took a step back.

“What the fuck is this?” James gestured towards the copies of _The Habit_ adorning Jenny’s table.

“Oh, hello James!” Jenny smiled, too widely.

“Don’t ‘hello’ me” James was getting riled “Why did you publish this nonsense?!”

“Oh, so, it’s not true?” Jenny cocked her head “Sure, I was pretty sure I saw you two kissing in the sixth form dining room this week”

James sighed; it was too good to be true. They thought they’d been so smart, so foolproof. All it had taken was one sneaky Jenny Joyce to foil their plans.

“Aye, it is true, but it’s NOT YOUR FUCKING RIGHT TO TELL EVERYONE!” James jumped at the voice of Erin at his side, her face now seething with rage.

“Oh come on, it’s all just a bit of lighthearted gossip!” Jenny chuckled “No need get our knickers in a twist”

James felt like crying; he wished he could swallow them up and run away. Somewhere safe, where no one knew of their relationship or felt like it was something they had an opinion to or the right to share with whoever they pleased. Their walls of safety had come tumbling down. James had a horrifying thought:

This was Derry; how quickly would it be until the others found out?

James looked to Erin. Their eyes met, the enormity of the situation dawning on them. Erin burst into tears, something James hadn’t seen many times before, and watched as she ran away.James turned to Jenny.

“See what you’ve done?” James cried, before running after Erin, leaving the crowd of school girls behind. He didn’t care if he was getting weird looks from everyone, he needed to find Erin.

“I told you it was too much!” Aisling said to Jenny, both stunned at the situation they’d caused.

James managed to keep track of Erin’s sobs and followed her into the girls bathroom.

“Erin, it’s okay” James shut the door behind them, hoping no one would come in.

“IT’S NOT OKAY JAMES!” Erin cried, tears streaming down her face “Everyone knows! And soon, our friends are going to know, and our families! I’m not ready for that!”

“Me neither” James tried to keep his voice calm, knowing raising his voice would make the situation worse “I’m just as pissed off as you”

“We were so stupid” Erin put her head in her hands

“I know” James leant against the door, defeated.

The couple spent a few moments in silence, gathering their thoughts and emotions. James couldn’t bear to see Erin so upset; it was breaking his heart.

“Erin, listen” James started “We don’t have to do this anymore, okay? We can go back to normal. Just friends” James felt like crying, knowing that was _not_ what he wanted.Erin looked up at him, her eyes darting between his.

“But…” Erin stuttered “But…what?”

James rubbed his bloodshot eyes “I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to be the reason you get upset or mocked by everyone, I’m not that good a reason to stand out”

Erin sniffed, taking in James’ words.

“Do you want a tissue?” James asked

“If you’ve got one” Erin whispered

James went into a cubicle and brought back some toilet roll.

“Sorry, best I could do” James said

“It’s alright” Erin wiped her eyes then nose, trying to compose herself.James leant against the door, knowing it would be soon enough before a teacher would be coming to find them.

“So…” James sighed, looking to Erin for a response.

“No” Erin said

James was confused “Sorry?”

Before he could say anything else, James was met by Erin’s lips crashing into his, her body pressed up against him. He kissed her back, running his fingers through her hair. They kissed more passionately than they had before, the adrenaline of recent events surging in their bodies. James had to fight every urge to not explore her body further, his hands firmly pressed on her back. The two came up for air, breathing deeply. Erin was the first to speak.

“I’ve almost lost you once before, I will _not_ lose you again” she said firmly

James smiled, completely enamoured in her words and her dedication to their relationship.

“We’ll get through this” James told her

“Aye, we will” Erin agreed, believing James’ words.

“Erin Quinn and James Maguire, please come out of the bathroom at once!”

The pair jumped at the voice behind the door; Sister Michael.

“Fuck’s sake” Erin groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is what Jenny did a bit over the top? Yes.  
> Is the ending a bit sappy? Yes.  
> Do I care? Nah, not really ;)
> 
> Also shoutout to my favourite animal, the platypus (you weirdo).


	13. A Salty Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erin and James must deal with the consequences of their relationship becoming public.

Erin and James made the walk to shame to Sister Michael’s office. Luckily, the bell had rung for first lesson, so the halls were deserted. James kept close to Erin, wishing he could hold her hand in solidarity but decided against it in case Sister Michael spotted.

“Please sit down” Sister Michael gestured to the seats in front of her desk. James had lost count of the number of times they’d sat here, usually due to Michelle starting something. Normally, he was able to keep quiet and let the girls get the brunt of the punishment, knowing full well there was no point arguing with the headmistress. James and Erin sat down.

“It has come to my attention that there was an incident involving yourselves and Jenny Joyce this morning, is that correct?” Sister Michael began.

“Yes” the pair nodded

“I have also been made aware of the latest edition of T _he Habit_ and its contents” Sister Michael held up the aforementioned, causing James to squirm in his seat.

“Is what is in this magazine true?” Sister Michael asked bluntly.

James looked to Erin. If they were going to do this, they needed to be honest…whatever the consequences.   
  
“Yes, Sister” James replied

Sister Michael rolled her eyes, sighing “Christ, this is all I need” she muttered, hoping that what Jenny had written was nonsense and she could get on with her day. Now, she had to deal with something she’d not expected at an all-girl’s school, _especially_ one with an effeminate English fella.

“Firstly, I hope you understand that this type of behaviour is _not_ acceptable at school; you are here to learn, not to have relations”

James and Erin nodded bashfully.

“However, what Jenny did is out of order, and I will be dealing with her separately” Sister Michael continued, causing James and Erin to look up. They were surprised she was siding with them, and grateful she wasn’t letting Jenny get away with what she’d done.

“Thank you, Sister” Erin finally spoke

“Don’t think I’m happy about….this” she motioned between the two of them “I don’t care what you do outside of school, but If I see or hear of any funny business in school hours, I’ll change my tune”

“Yes, Sister” James and Erin replied, still in shock at how lightly they’d got away with things.

“Now, get yourselves to class” Sister Michael commanded

James and Erin left the office, both taking a deep sigh of relief.

“Feel like we dodged a bullet there” Erin said

James nodded, relived at how things had gone. However, in the grand scheme of things, he knew Sister Michael was nothing, compared to what lay ahead for them.

“We need to tell the girls tonight” James said

“Yeah” Erin conceded

“I feel like it needs to come from us than down the line”   
  
“Aye, who knows how the fuck they’ll take it” Erin dreaded to think.

“Well, if all else fails, we can run away to…Canada or something” James smirked

“Canada?! Christ it’s not like we’ve murdered someone!” Erin laughed, grateful for James’ sense of humour in this situation.

“You never know, depends on how well Michelle takes it” James half-joked.

“Fuck, let’s talk about this later” Erin said, heading off to class.

\---------------------------

Annoyingly, it was Friday chippy night, so Erin and James had to delay their announcement until they made it back to the Quinn’s household. Luckily, the chippy was relatively quiet, and none of the girls had heard anything. Sadly, Michelle was on usual form, telling Finnoula to “stop being fucking cheap” when she didn’t put enough salt on her chips, meaning the gang were now banned for two weeks.

“Nice one, Michelle” Erin sighed, dreading having to tell her mother the news.

“Aye, nice one Michelle” Clare agreed, disgusted by her friends language.

“She had it coming, alright?” Michelle responded “Every fucking week I tell her to not be too shy with the salt, and every week I have to ask for more! She’s short-changing me!”

“Or, you know, she doesn’t want to you developing heart disease?” Clare countered

“Heart disease? Catch yourself on Clare!” Michelle scoffed, putting Clare into a huff.

The argument continued for the rest of the walk home, not helped by Orla’s innocent suggestion that they could have sandwiches like James did on a Friday. Approaching the Quinn residence, Erin just wanted to get inside, take the girls upstairs and change the subject; her and James’ secret eating away at her.

However, upon opening the door, they were met by Mary, Jerry and Joe, standing like a wall between the hall and the kitchen. Erin glanced to her mother, who was holding her infamous wooden spoon.

Michelle clocked the situation and sighed loudly. 

“Fuck’s sake, she called didn’t she? Look, I know what I said was a bit much, but it’s not difficult to put on more salt when someone asks you to!” Michelle ranted, the rest of the gang stunned silent, including the adults.

Erin watched as her mother’s eyes widened, confused by Michelle’s outburst.

“Okay, I have no idea what you’re going on about, Michelle, but we’ll get to that later” Mary turned to Erin and James “What I want to know is what in God’s name have you two been playing at?!”

Erin and James watched as the girls turned to look at them, completely cornered in by their friends confused faces. 

_Ah, shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo 10k words! 
> 
> Thanks again for all the reviews, it really helps keep me motivated to write!


	14. The wrath of Michelle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will the gang react to James and Erin's relationship? Find out...now!

“Well, explain yourselves!”

Mary pressed again for an answer from James and Erin. The pair were taken aback, confused at how on earth her parents had managed to find out about the events at school. Had Sister Michael called? She didn’t mention she would; in fact, she was much more likely to request their presence at school; she quite enjoyed watching parents berate their children in front of her.

“What the fuck is going on?” Michelle was next to speak, relieved the heat was off her for a minute.

Mary looked to Michelle “Wait, you lot don’t know?”

“Know what?!” Michelle shouted

“Erin and I are dating!” James yelled back, the frustration of the situation coming out. Looking round his friends, he watched for their reactions. Orla smiled, Clare looked concerned...Michelle...

“YOU’RE WHAT?!” Michelle exclaimed, looking to Erin for confirmation.

“Well, sort of” Erin started “It’s only been a week but...”

“A week?!” Clare piped up “You’ve kept this a secret for a week?”

“Only to protect ourselves!” James came to their defence “We didn’t want anyone finding out until we were ready”

“So why were you seen in school kissing and holding hands?!” Mary interjected, wooden spoon raised.

“Oh my God this is making me feel sick!” Michelle was taking this just how James had expected

“Calm down Michelle, it’s not like we were snogging in assembly!” Erin looked to her mum “How did you find out about this?”

“We had a phone call from a very apologetic Jenny Joyce. She told us everything”

“The little shit” Erin scoffed, deciding then and there Jenny was now her sworn enemy.

“Language, Erin!” Jerry interjected from behind Mary “Look, I think we just need to all calm down and discuss this like adults” Once again, Jerry was the voice of reason.

“Oh I don’t think so!” Michelle was still raging at the thought of Erin being with her dick of an English cousin. He’d come here, taken over her house, her school, _now_ her best friend. In one swift movement, she grabbed the wooden spoon from Mary’s grasp and proceeded to hit James on the arm.She managed a few good knocks before being stopped by Joe, his firm grasp of her shoulders pulling her away from her cousin. James clutched his arm in pain.

“You! In here!” Joe instructed Michelle into the kitchen “The rest of you, in the living room!”

Listening to Joe’s commands, the girls minus Michelle went to the living room. Mary and Jerry stood bewildered at the situation they’d caused. They’d assumed the girls already knew and hadn’t seen them since last Friday to say otherwise.

“You okay?” Erin asked James calmly, pointing to his arm

“Think it’ll bruise” he winced, more emotionally hurt than physically.

“I’ll get you some ice” Clare jumped up, trying to be of some help. James nodded in appreciation.

“I think we need to retire the wooden spoon, don’t you think Mary?” Jerry tried to lighten the mood. Mary didn’t respond.

“Right, you two” Mary faced Erin and James “I want you to explain yourselves”

“What do you mean, mammy? You know what happened at school” Erin asked

‘No, I mean, when did _you two_ happen?” She quizzed

James and Erin shifted in their seats “Well, it was last week, I don’t know, we just got to talking and…”

“Erin bumped her head…”

“…James let me lie on his lap…”

“Okay! I don’t need _all_ the detail!” Mary stopped them “What I really want to know is…” she paused, her expression turning from stern to concern “…is it serious?”

Erin looked to James, their bathroom conversation echoing in her mind.

“Aye, I think it is” she replied, giving James a small smile.

“Mrs Quinn, you know how much I care for all the girls” James looked to Mary “I would never do anything to upset or hurt them…no matter how much they take the piss out of me”

“I know, love” Mary was sure of that; James was a good lad.

“And Erin, she’s extra special to me” he smiled warmly “We know that this isn’t ideal, and how you all found out isn’t ideal, but we want to give this a chance”

Erin sighed, enamoured by James’ heartfelt words.Jerry and Mary smiled, secretly glad Erin had picked someone that wasn’t a complete idiot.

“James! This means we’re like…cousin-in-law’s or something!” Orla exclaimed, sending a ripple of laughter through the group.

“Orla, it’s way too early for that!” Erin was slightly mortified by her cousins remark.

Joe appeared at the living room door with a round of tea and biscuits, relived the tension had gone.

“James, I think you need to talk to your cousin” Joe suggested, knowing full well she was the one he needed approval from the most.

James sighed, his arm twinging in pain.

“Yeah, I do” James stood up, letting Joe in to serve tea. Before he left, he felt Erin squeeze his thigh in solidarity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the next chapter will be the last, I've enjoyed writing this but it's coming to a natural end :) 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed!


	15. Everybody's Changing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michelle and James have a heart-to-heart.

James took a deep breath and entered the kitchen to find Michelle sat at the kitchen table. Clearly Joe had managed to calm her down somehow. She looked up at his arrival.

“Joe send you in here?” She asked

“Yeah, I hope that’s okay” James kept his voice low, not wanting to incite another argument. Michelle didn’t respond, absent-mindedly dipping a biscuit in her tea. James took a seat next to her, unsure what to say next.

“Sorry…for battering you” Michelle finally spoke. Her apology sounded sincere.

“Well, I’m sorry for not telling you sooner about Erin and I”

Michelle rolled her eyes at the mention of Erin.

“We were going to tell you tonight, honest. We didn’t expect word to have travelled so fast”

“Pair of eejits” Michelle scoffed.

James couldn’t help but laugh “Yeah, we kind of are”

“I mean, getting caught riding a girl in school?! I knew you English were dirty but I expected more from you” Michelle was back to her usual self.

“First, I was not… _riding_ anyone at school” James grimaced at the colloquialism “Second, and most importantly, I hope you realise that whatever you may think of me or the English in general, I would never mess around with a girl for the sake of it”

“What about Katya?” Michelle reminded him

“That was different. Back then, I didn’t have anyone. You guys barely knew me - I didn’t understand what was going on half the time. So when Katya showed an interest in me, it made me feel wanted”

“Christ that’s desperate” Michelle sighed

“But now, I have a place. I’m a Derry Girl, you said it yourself”   
  
“Yeah but when I said that I didn’t mean you could go around making out with other Derry Girls!”

James could feel an argument brewing. He didn’t want to rise to Michelle’s dramatic statements.

“Look, I don’t know what else I can say to you to make this any better. I like Erin, _a lot,_ and amazingly, she likes me too. I know this might change things between us, but haven’t things already?”

“Exactly, dickhead! Everything’s changing! Clare’s got fancy new friends, Orla’s talking about getting a part-time job so she can do more dance instructing, and now you two are fucking dating!” Michelle blurted out. James smiled, finally feeling like he had a window into the mind of Michelle.

“We’re growing up, Michelle” James conceded with her “Eventually we’ll all go our separate ways. But for now, you’re still stuck with me”

Michelle looked at James, thinking back to when she ran after him on the day of President Clinton’s visit to Derry. It reminded her that whilst she often hated the fact James had been dropped into her life, he was here now, and he had made her understand the importance of family and being accepted. Maybe, just maybe, she could accept him and Erin, her best friend.

“Just don’t do anything to hurt Erin, because I _will_ make sure you don’t see the light of another day” Michelle glared at James, her devotion to her friend admirable (if not terrifying).

“Also” she continued “I don’t want any dodgy business when we’re together, I can’t be dealing with that” Michelle warned him.

“Not even holding hands?” James asked sincerely.

Michelle paused “Alright, as long as you’re walking behind me”

James nodded, feeling like he’d won the battle but not the war.

“Come on, let’s go watch a film” James brought the conversation back to the present.

“Alright, but you and Erin are sitting on opposite sides of the room!” Michelle got up, making her way into the living room to corral the girls upstairs.

James shook his head, wishing he had as much confidence as Michelle possessed. Following the girls upstairs, he smiled at the adults as he went past, gaining nods of approval from them in return. He was glad they’d taken the news well, knowing that their opinion of him was imperative to them letting him date Erin.

Erin hung back to let the others up the stairs, so she caught James before he passed her.

“All okay?” She asked

“Just about, Michelle has set us some ground rules” James smirked

Erin rolled her eyes “Of course she has”

James took her hand, squeezing it tight.

“Well, at least this means we don’t have to lie about our date tomorrow”

Erin’s eyes lit up “Oh thank god! I don’t know how long I could have lasted feigning sickness”

“Well, you did only get a C in GCSE Drama” James reminded her

“So did you, you dose!’ Erin chuckled, playfully hitting him on the arm.

“Ow! That’s my bad arm!” James mocked pain, clutching his arm.

“Christ, it’s no wonder you got a C” Erin smirked, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“YOU TWO!” Michelle yelled from the top of the stairs “Can you keep your hands off each other for one minute?”

“Coming!” James led his girlfriend up the stairs, meeting Michelle’s dissatisfied gaze as they went past.

A lot had happened in the first two weeks of school, but James could feel a new chapter was beginning. The idea of him ever having a chance with Erin had been a hypothetical, a fever dream, almost hysterical. But, fate had lead them down this road, and he was determined to make the best of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! 
> 
> Thank you again for all the people who have commented and left kudos on this work, I really appreciate it. Hope to be back soon with some one-shots, whenever I get inspiration!


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